Posted on 01/02/2008 9:21:50 AM PST by RDTF
St. Mary's County Regional Airport is home to a fleet of single-engine Cessnas, many of them owned by amateur pilots and parked in tidy rows just off the runway. But in a hangar at the edge of the grounds sits a Harrier, a hulking jet that takes off and lands vertically, cruises at speeds in excess of 600 mph and is similar to the Marines' primary attack aircraft.
That is Art Nalls's plane.
Nalls, a 53-year-old former Marine test pilot who made a fortune in real estate, has turned flying into an extraordinarily expensive hobby. He believes that his newest acquisition -- the Harry, as he calls it -- is the world's only privately owned, flyable Harrier. Although Nalls wouldn't say how much he paid for the plane, he said fuel alone costs about $75 for every minute in the air.
But in jets, Nalls says he has found a fountain of youth.
"When I am up there, it's just like I'm 25 again," he said.
He and his planes are regular topics of conversation at the small airport in Southern Maryland, a stomping ground for retired military pilots, some of whom trained at the nearby Patuxent River Naval Air Station, one of only two military test pilot schools in the country.
On a recent morning, in a lounge facing the runway, pilots swapped stories about Nalls's latest adventure: Problems with the Harry's hydraulic system forced an emergency landing at the military base in November, on its second flight. Since he couldn't fly it back, Nalls had the jet hooked to a pickup truck and towed nearly eight miles to the airport, escorted by a half-dozen police cars. He sat in the cockpit, dressed as Santa Claus.
-snip-
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
ping
Turning green with envy here...
Just what general aviation needs. The image of the “private pilot” as a filthy rich egomaniac.
What’s the over/under on the date of his crash?
The Harrier is the most dangerous jet available. The Marines have lost over 100.
Lighten up, Francis. I seriously doubt one ex-test pilot with a Harrier will do much to our reputation, one way or another.
***Nalls had the jet hooked to a pickup truck and towed nearly eight miles to the airport, escorted by a half-dozen police cars. He sat in the cockpit, dressed as Santa Claus.***
That must’ve been a sight to see.
Looks like a Brit version.
I found that kind of funny, in a drunken redneck sort of way.
I for one have nothing against being filthy rich.
‘yep, can’t wait to get my Gyrocopter!!!
Gee, do you wish you had your own B-47 sitting outside for a quick juant to whereever?
Bump
It doesn't matter. As long as he dies doing what he loved to do. That's what really counts, right? /s
“Just what general aviation needs. The image of the “private pilot” as a filthy rich egomaniac.”
He made the money, now he is making himself happy and other people rich by spending it. I am surprised that you have a problem with his property rights.
Most of the country looks on *anyone* with a private plane as rich. Class warfare is a bad idea.
I say, more power to ‘em. I’d like to see more and better private aircraft in this country, not less.
That is awesome. Wonder if the cannon and missile hardpoints are still functional...talk about keeping and bearing arms. LOL.
Anyone remember a few years ago when Pepsi gave out ‘’points’’ on their cans and bottles? They had a commercial where a kid got a Harrier for some absurd number of millions of points. A group of people got together, accumulated the points shown in the ad, and sued Pepsi for specific performance when they wouldn’t actually give them a Harrier (which would have been worth much more than even the millions of dollars all those points cost).
IIRC, the lawsuit was dismissed when the government came out and said it wouldn’t let a private party buy a Harrier so even if they did believe the ad there was no way for Pepsi to give one away. Too bad they hadn’t found this guy first.
I’ve got several friends that are Harrier pilots... one of them died flying one...
Harrier pilots have a saying... “There are two kinds of Harrier Pilots.... those that have ejected, and those that are going to eject...”
Did someone say Santa?
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